Disassembling glued parts

[MikeRousseau]

I found a bunch of kits and the second hand store today, afew of them are partially built. Motor/chassis/front end put together and glued. Is there any way to take these apart without breaking these pieces?

--- Mike

[bbowser]

Some say you can put them in the freezer for awhile and it makes them easier to separate.  I've not had much luck with that.  Depends on how much and what kind of glue was used.

[SfanGoch]

If the parts aren't welded together with a krapload of glue, try this:

Wet the parts in water before placing them in the freezer. The water trapped in the spaces between will freeze, forcing the glue joints, and the parts to separate. You might need to repeat this several times.

[magicmustang]

I use Tamiya extra thin liquid cement. Brush it on the joints and it should separate if it is not to heavily glued.

Edited April 10, 2018 by magicmustang

[Ace-Garageguy]

And also...depending on how heavily glued things are...I use a chisel-tip X-Acto and a small hammer:

 

Sometimes a photo-etched saw works well, but it takes slow work and a lot of patience.

 

[thatz4u]

I use mineral spirits, artist brush, & time...

[MikeRousseau]

Thanks guys. I tried the water/freezing..didnt work . I have tamiya liquid cement but i think i'll pick up some mineral spirtis and give that a shot. Thanks for the replies

 

 

[Jantrix]

If they are painted, some times stripping them in Purple Power will disolve the paint and make glued joints easier to separate.